Yar’Adua orders EFCC to take over Siemens probe - Nigerian Tribune

President Umaru Yar’Adua has instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take over the probe of alleged bribery of former ministers and some Nigerians by a German telecommunication conglomerate, Siemens, to get juicy contracts in Nigeria.

The story of the bribery scandal broke about two weeks ago during the trial of a former Siemens official by a German court in Munich.

The man claimed that he gave bribes totalling 10 million euros to 13 prominent Nigerians, including former four ministers of communication.

The ICPC had initially invited the named Nigerians for interrogations following a directive by President Yar’Adua. The instruction by President Yar’Adua to the EFCC to take over the Siemens bribery scandal was communicated to the commission by the Chief of Staff, General Abdullah Muhammed.

The president, through the same means, also instructed the ICPC to hand over the probe of the Siemens scandal to the EFCC, suggesting that since the case was closely related to money laundering, it would better be handled by the EFCC. Full Story